What Poisoned Wine Starts
by The Illustrious Lemon
Summary: The kingdom of Magnolia has been ruled by the noble House of Dreyar for centuries, bringing the people great happiness. Internal corruption, a kingdom declaring war, and unreliable allies have begun to plague Magnolia ever since Prince Laxus's twentieth birthday celebration. Prince Laxus does not know who to trust. Not even the so called noble House of Dreyar.


**I literally wrote this because I lost my Game of Thrones Book and I'm pissed. My solution is to make my own my own world of lords, deception, and sex. Ending pairings will be (if I am able to fit them in):** Laxus/Mirajane, Juvia/Grey, Natsu/Lucy, Gajeel/Levy, Lisanna/Bickslow, Jellal/Erza, Elfman/Evergreen, Cana/Bacchus, Wendy/Romeo, Alzack/Bisca, Scorpio/Aquarius, and Erik/Kinana. **Those are all I know of so far. Others might pop up. There are also going to be a few temporary pairings because I am extra. There is also no main couple because a lot is going on so stick with me and enjoy!**

 **The Start of Poisoned Wine**

 **Chapter One: The Ball of Treason**

 **Lucy**

Fire burned around the extravagant pink gown, licking up the person in its hot flames. Lucy reached for her father's hand. He pushed it away. Instead, he brought his hand to his face to wipe away heavy tears. At four years old, Lucy didn't fully understand what was going on. She was getting impatient. "How long do we have to stand out here?" she asked her father.

Jude frowned. "Until every flame has died out." And so they did. In fact, they continued to stand out by the funeral pyre long after the flames had died. She only returned to the castle when her nurse, Aquarius, had retrieved her to get ready for bed. Jude continued to stand by the pyre, never even acknowledging Lucy's absence.

The little girl huffed as Aquarius unbuttoned the black satin gown. "My legs are tired and I'm hungry. I haven't eaten all day. I want some cheese."

"Stop complaining. You will get to eat and sleep soon enough," said Aquarius, pulling a white nightgown over Lucy's body. "I'm going to get you something from the kitchen. Stay here."

Less than a minute passed before Lucy decided to walk around the castle. Keystone was easily the largest keep with multiple stories and towers and rooms. Lucy almost took a wrong turn that would have led into one of many hallways. She did, however, find her destination. She saw her father continuing to stand in the gardens, next to the pyre, but with a stranger Lucy had never seen before. She hid behind a rose bush, feeling shy at the unfamiliar presence.

"Prince Ivan. I am not in the mood to take any visitors tonight," said her father coldly.

"I truly am sorry about Lady Layla. She was a great woman." Jude continued to stare out into the distance, facing away from Ivan. "Look this is the only time I could come up to discuss this with you. I don't trust ravens and Fairy Tail is too full of listening ears. My Lord Father, King Makarov, is weakening the royal treasury. He refuses to collect more taxes than the bare minimum. I suspect he has been reading some foolish book about the relationship between a king and his people. Probably written by some commoner."

"I'm not giving you money, Prince Ivan."

"Not even to be Hand of the King?"

Jude cocked his eyebrow. "The king has a hand. Last I checked, Lord Clive still lives-"

Ivan cut him off "Lord Clive hates the job and only accepted the position because my Lord Father asked him to fill it. We both know he'd rather be in a brothel."

"But a hand can only leave the position until either they or the king die. Surely you do not mean to kill Lord Clive."

"No," said Ivan. "I do not mean to kill him. I mean to commit a higher treason."

"Surely you do not mean-."  
"I do."

"The people will hate you for it."

Ivan waved his hand to dismiss his statement. "His Grace is an old man. They needn't suspect me of anything. I do not require very much money but taking a few thousand out of the royal treasury is a bit suspicious."

"I will help you," decided Jude.

"Thank you-." began Ivan.

"If and only if Lucy and Prince Laxus marry and their first-born son becomes heir to Keystone."

Ivan bit his lip. "The first-born is heir to the throne. Surely a second-born son will suffice…"

Jude turned to look the man squarely in the eyes. "My Lady Wife died in trying to give birth to my heir, whose funeral pyre will be lit tomorrow. The first-born child or perhaps I could send a raven to Fairy Tail detailing the real reason you came up to Keystone tonight."

"I came to visit you, Lord Heartfila, after suffering such a tragic loss. I suppose a second-born heir isn't completely unheard of."

Jude held out his hand to shake Ivan's. "Now, Prince Ivan," said Jude as he led Ivan back into the castle. "Let us discuss money…"

Lucy waited until her father and the stranger had walked inside and continued opposite of where she came. _Laxus_. She thought as she walked up the stairs to the door. _I wonder if he likes dolls._ And that was the first and the last time Lucy had ever thought of her secret betrothed. She eventually made it back to her room where she received a scolding from Aquarius about leaving the room when she was not supposed to before falling off to sleep.

It was not until nine years later that she even saw Prince Ivan again. Once again, Lucy was wandering the great halls of Keystone. She knew the castle like the back of her hand by now. Maids would occasionally great her with a hello but most of them left her alone. Lucy wished that they talked to her more. She was lonely at the castle. Nobody her age was around and her father ignored her. Lucy guessed his avoidance was due to the fact that she looked so much like her Lady Mother Layla. At least, that's what some of the older servants told her.

She was halfway through a hallway when she heard yelling coming from one of the rooms. She pressed her body against the wall.

"What do you mean His Grace will not allow your son to marry Lucy?" The voice was most definitely her father's. "She started her cycle two months ago; she's a woman grown."

Lucy could feel the blood rushing up to her face. The memory of her screaming when she awoke to find a smear of blood on her sheets came to mind. Aquarius laughed and helped her clean up while another maid, Virgo, changed the sheets. Lucy had learned about menstruation and sex years ago, from Aquarius but was obviously not prepared. She hoped she would not freak out when it came time to lose her virginity. Especially if Prince Laxus, heir to the throne, was to be her husband. She covered her face with her hands to hide the embarrassment. The thought of her running out of the room the second she saw the future king's penis was too much.

An unfamiliar voice drifted out of the room. "The king wants Laxus to choose his own bride. He believes that the kingdom will be ruled better if the queen is more than just a political figure." The voice snorted. "There is no reason to worry. If Lady Lucy looks anything like Lady Layla, she will have no problem getting Prince Laxus to pick her."

"Pick her?" said her father, clearly confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"On Prince Laxus's twentieth birthday, my father plans to host a ball for all of the great lords and single ladies. At the end of the night, Prince Laxus will be expected to have mingled with all of the female guests and picked one to marry. Bring Lady Lucy early just for insurance. The king will be out of the picture before Laxus even gets to mingle if all goes according to plan. "

Her father sighed. "If things do not go according to plan, we have no involvement."

"Trust me. I have the perfect scapegoat." She heard the men rise and raced away toward the grand entrance of the castle before she could be spotted eavesdropping.

A few minutes later, her father and the stranger she guessed as Prince Ivan, based on the overheard conversation and crown, walked into the room. Her father walked the prince over to where she was sitting and pretending to read a book. "Ah Lucy," said her father. "I would like you to meet Prince Ivan."

Lucy stood up and curtsied to the man. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

Prince Ivan chuckled. "And you as well Lady Lucy. You look just like your mother. A good thing. A very good thing indeed…"

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Lucy politely. Her nerves were beyond high since she now knew she was expected to, in Aquarius's words, _seduce,_ Prince Laxus but managed to keep it together.

"You are certainly welcome," replied Prince Ivan. "I must be going now. It was nice of you to lend this book to me. I have not been able to find it anywhere. It truly is rare." He took the top of Lucy's hand and kissed it. He then proceeded to shake Jude's hand before exiting. The second he was gone, her father left the room leaving Lucy all alone again.

 **Lisanna**

Her brother, Elfman, sat at the head of the long table with her and Mirajane sitting at his left and right respectively. The rest of the table was empty though that was not unusual. Ever since the passing of their parents, the livelihood of Over Keep had dropped drastically. All of the siblings were eating their meal of turkey when a maid walked into the room holding a yellow sealed scroll.

Mirajane was the first to speak. "Hello, Kinana. Have the ravens brought something in?"

Kinana quickly curtsied. "Yes, milady. It came from the north." She almost handed the scroll to Mirajane before realizing that it was more appropriate to give it to Elfman. Lisanna did not blame her. While Elfman was, in name, the head of the house, Mirajane did more to run this place efficiently than he ever could. Elfman did not realize this. Mirajane did this all a subtly as she could so she would not hurt Elfman's ego.

Elfman glanced at the seal. It had a bolt of lightning being held by a fist stamped on it. "Dreyar…" he said quietly. "It's from the king."

"Well don't just gawk at it. Open it so we can see what it is!" said Lisanna, quite excited at the thought of what it could be.

Elfman obeyed and began to read. "The House of Dreyar would like to cordially invite the lords and ladies of the noble House of Strauss to a royal ball in honor of Prince Laxus's twentieth birthday and wedding celebration. All eligible and willing ladies will be asked to wear a yellow ribbon around their left wrist in order to help the Prince find a bride by the end of the night. The event will be held at Fairy Tail in the evening on August 27th. Guests are more than welcome to spend a week at the castle should they wish to rest before returning home or should they choose to stay for the wedding. We hope to see you there."

"Mira isn't this exciting? We have a chance to marry the prince! I have heard that he is very handsome," exclaimed Lisanna.

Elfman frowned. "I don't like it. Lisanna, you are pretty young for marriage."

"I'm fourteen and I've begun my-."

"That's enough, Lisanna," interjected Mirajane. "I think we should go. It would be rude to turn down an invitation from the king. Elfman, you could use this as an opportunity to look for a bride as well. You need and heir and I'm afraid I do not know all of the ladies of the great houses anymore. It would be quite embarrassing to send a raven to a household with interest in a marriage when they do not even have any daughters."

"Okay," said Elfman. "We will go. After dinner, we will make the necessary arrangements for travel."

Lisanna could not eat the turkey fast enough. She raced up to her room after dinner and began looking through all of her dresses to find ones she thought was suitable for royal company. Though she had two weeks before they would began leaving, it was exciting to think about a royal ball and a royal wedding. Possibly her royal wedding. Lisanna grinned at the thought. It was hard to believe that she could possibly be the next queen.

And then she wondered about the other girls. How many would there be? What if all of them were gorgeous with fuller chests and prettier dresses? Lisanna sat down on her bed. _I might have no chance to get to even see him._

Mirajane chose just this moment to walk in. Lisanna loved her sister, truly, but she was the last person she wanted to see right then. Mirajane had long, smooth, curly hair, naturally red lips, and the deepest pair of blue eyes Lisanna had ever seen. She was blessed with a full chest and wide hips but had a tiny waist to put an hourglass to shame. Not only was she beautiful, she was kind, and, more importantly, older. Lisanna felt stupid for thinking she had a chance, not noticing that her shoulders dropped.

Mirajane, however, did notice. "What's wrong, Lisanna?"  
"It's silly," she replied. "I got myself all excited about some prince I have never seen before and was thinking that I stood a chance. You're far more likely to be noticed than me and who knows how the other girls will look."

Mirajane sat down next to Lisanna. "Who cares if you don't get some prince's attention? You're a beautiful girl with a beautiful heart. The same applies for me and you as it does for Elfman. There are going to be many lords there. Knights, too. I am sure there will be some that are just as handsome, if not more so, as the prince who might even be nicer. Even if there aren't, Elfman said he would get us two new dresses for the ball and the wedding. You and I both know how hard it is for Elfman to buy anything girly."

The girls giggled. Lisanna leaned over to hug Mirajane. "Thank you, Mira. If you end up being a queen, I don't think the kingdom of Magnolia could ever be sad."

"I used to be pretty mean though," reminded Mirajane as she hugged her sister back.

Lisanna rolled her eyes. "That was two years ago and I knew that that would not last, She-Devil."

Mirajane gently smacked arm in retaliation. Her sister had earned that name when some servant boy had walked in to a room where Mirajane was experiencing a horrible menstruation cycle. The poor boy had a copy of _The Complete History of the Kingdom of Magnolia_ thrown at his head as he tried to run out of the room. He went down cold but not before yelling the iconic 'She-Devil' as he fell to the ground. After being knocked out for a good fifteen minutes, he continued to lay still for a whole five hours until Mirajane exited the room. He was too afraid that if he moved again, _The History of the Noble House of Fullbuster_ might be thrown next. The boy was then punished by the head of house for skipping out on his duties before he could even explain the situation. Lisanna was pretty sure that he had been moved down to the stables so he could avoid another encounter with Mirajane.

"Anyway," said Mirajane. "I think I'm going to go for a ride on one of the horses. Would you like to come with?" Lisanna agreed.

When they got down to the stables, the poor boy ran away as fast as he could, leaving behind only the stable master to help saddle the horses.

 **Laxus**

Servants were continuously pouring into the room, asking him questions about food and decorations. All Laxus wanted to do was sleep. He had spent most of the afternoon sword training with Bickslow until they had run out of energy. Speaking of Bickslow, the lucky bastard had nodded off on the great bear rug that was on the side of his bed.

The door opened for the umpteenth time. "I swear if this is Nab again I have already told you that I don't care about who has and hasn't responded to the invitation," said Laxus, thoroughly annoyed by the lack of sleep he was getting. It was not, however, Nab. In walked Fried, the current royal treasurer and longtime friend of Laxus. "Thank the gods."

Fried bowed his head. "Good evening, Your Highness. I understand that you are tired but it is of the upmost important importance that you come and greet these guests. Lord Heartfila has been invited early by your Lord Father. He is a man you want to make a good impression on."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Heartfila money. I will be out in a second." Fried once again bowed his head and exited the room. Laxus heaved himself up out of bed and gently kicked Bickslow in the chest. "Oi! Get up you lazy piece of shit."

Bickslow groaned. "By all means, kick me where you know you got a good hit on me." Laxus smirked and continued to lightly kick Bickslow. "Okay, I get it, I get it. I'm getting up."

"Put some nicer clothes on. We have to go meet the Heartfila family," said Laxus, selecting a black velvet tunic with their house signal embroidered in gold on the front of it. The two of them hurried to get dressed though it took longer than usual since all of the usual servants were preparing for upcoming ball.

When they entered the throne room, Laxus first went to Makarov's throne in order to avoid greeting the guests as long as possible. His father was talking to Lord Heartila and a young lady that stood next to him. He recognized her as Lady Lucy though she had grown from a little girl into a lady since the last time he saw her. "Hello, grandsire," he greeted."

Makarov just glared at him. "Don't think you can pull that on me. I know you, boy. You'll have to go talk to them eventually."

"Tch."  
Then Makarov lightly chuckled. "Well, I won't say anything just yet. You're lucky that your father has his back turned the opposite direction."

"I find it unfair that I have to go walk all the way over to greet them when you can just sit here," complained Laxus.

"When you get to be eighty-five, you will find that you do not want to be walking around a lot. Besides, I am the king. I can do what I want," teased Makarov.

"When I am king, I think I will just avoid the whole greeting thing as much as possible," said Laxus.

"Lords get tiring to meet," agreed Makarov. "But the ladies are usually quite pleasant. Can you really complain if you get to entertain somebody as lovely as Lady Lucy?" Makarov nudged Laxus to look.

The last time Laxus had seen Lucy was when she was seven. She had to be about fourteen by now and he could not completely agree with his grandfather. She had golden hair with big brown eyes. She was also pretty well developed for fourteen which was a plus in his book.

Bickslow nodded. "Yeah I would definitely go for that."

"Shut up, idiot. You're lucky we are in court and I can't smack you," replied Laxus. Bickslow and Makarov started cackling which caused Ivan to turn around. He smiled and led Lord Heartfila and Lucy over to Makarov's throne.

"Looks like time's up," whispered Makarov.

Before Laxus could retort an 'it's-your-fault' to the duo, Ivan had put an arm behind his back to lead him to the guests. "Lord Jude Heartfila," began Ivan. "I would like you to meet my son, Prince Laxus."

Lord Heartfila held a hand out for Laxus to shake. "It is an honor to officially meet you, Your Highness. I have seen you many times when I have visited Fairy Tail castle though you were much smaller then."

Laxus shook his hand. He smiled politely, though anyone close to him could tell that it did not reach his eyes. "It is a privilege to meet such an honorable lord like you, Lord Heartfila." Laxus could have sworn he heard Bickslow snort in the back ground. _Some honorable knight he is…_

"I would also like to introduce my daughter, Lady Lucy Heartfila," said Lord Heartfila. Lucy shyly walked over to Laxus. He gently took her hand and kissed the top of it, internally laughing at how red she got.

"It is a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman such as yourself, Lady Lucy," greeted Laxus. This time he knew he heard Bickslow stifle laughter. Laxus could not help himself. He was a natural charmer and liked to see how fast it would take to win over a girl. He was usually able to do so pretty fast, too. His good looks and toned body only added to the charm. Laxus did not mean any harm by it though many girls had walked out of Fairy Tail's halls feeling slightly broken-hearted. He also never lied about anything like sending ravens or long-term commitment. Lady Lucy truly was a beautiful girl but Laxus had no interest.

Ivan clapped his hands once together. "Well, let us get you settled. You have had a long trip. Laki!" yelled Ivan to a young servant girl. "Please take Lord Heartfila and Lady Lucy to their rooms." As soon as they had left, Laxus made a beeline toward his room. Maybe then he could get some sleep.

Laxus had thought wrong. Over the next four days, Laxus got anything but adequate rest. All of the guests for the ball had arrived and everyone was in their chambers getting ready for the big event. Laxus was dressed in a golden tunic with long sleeves that padded squarely at the shoulders. Silver, black, and white embroidery danced in and out of the fabric. He wore a black belt that coordinated with his pants. At the top of his head was a golden crown embedded with fine jewels of diamonds, pearls, and onyx. Even his normal scallywag of a knight, Bickslow, looked comely in a black layerd garment trimmed with white fur.

"Prince Laxus, Sir Bickslow," greeted Fried. "Are you ready to be escorted to the ballroom?"

"Gods, Fried," said Bickslow. "You do not to be so formal with us. Just say, 'Oi, bastards! Get your asses over here.' We would probably take you more seriously."

Fried pursed his lips. "You are an appointed knight of the noble House of Dreyar. The least you could do is act like one."

This only caused Bickslow to pelvic thrust against the coat of arms hanging next to the door. Fried sputtered in embarrassment while Laxus laughed. "I could hang you for that," joked Laxus in between breaks of laughter.

Bickslow grinned. "You won't. Who else would kick your ass in dueling every damn day? Certainly not Fried. He might rip his precious red coat."

The pair continued to laugh while Fried sighed. "Just get over here and for the love of gods behave yourselves. You are about to meet the future queen. Her first impression does not need to be you idiots mooning Lord Clive. Again."

Laxus and Bickslow grinned at each other. A few years ago, Gildarts was sitting in for Makarov while he was sick. Gildarts was clearly bored after hearing the seventeenth case of farmland dispute. So while he was in court, Laxus and Bickslow simultaneously mooned Gildarts from the opposite open entrance. The Hand's laughter completely interrupted the farmer. Everyone in the courtroom turned around but the boys had run off. Ever since then, Laxus and Bickslow were required to have a third person to monitor them during court sessions. That person was usually Fried.

The three had walked up to the top of the announcing balcony where Warren was reading off names. "Here enters Fried Justine. Treasurer of the noble House of Dreyar and Kingdom of Magnolia," read off Warren. Fried bowed at the top of the balcony and descended the stairs.

"Here enters Sir Bickslow. Knight of the noble House of Dreyar, protector of Fairy Tail and the Kingdom of Magnolia," continued Warren. Bickslow copied Fried's previous actions but stuck his tongue out as he bowed. Laxus snorted and stepped out to the top of the balcony,

"Here enters our honored guest Prince Laxus Dreyar of the noble House of Dreyar." Laxus thought that sounded redundant but supposed it was necessary in cases where the last names and houses did not match up like Lady Ultear Milkovich of the House of Fullbuster. Lord Silver had remarried the late Lady Ur Milkovich after Ultear had already been born. Warren continued. "Son of Prince Ivan Dreyar and Grandson of King Makarov Dreyar. Second in line to the throne of Magnolia."

Laxus used this short opportunity to glance around at the multitude of guests. Laxus internally rolled his eyes to see that most of the eligible ladies had worn his house colors of yellow and black though there was a lady in the back with long white hair with a maroon dress that caught his interest. _Huh._ He thought as he came up from his bow. _I will have to find her after the first toast._

A few more guests entered the ballroom before a shrill of trumpets were sounded. Warren cleared his throat. "Here enters King Makarov Dreyar of the noble House of Dreyar. Ruler of Magnolia."

His grandfather held a golden flask of wine up. "Welcome esteemed guests to Fairy Tail. I would like to thank you all for taking the time to travel up here to celebrate my grandson's twentieth birthday and wedding celebration. A toast to him and the future Queen of Magnolia."

"To Laxus and the future Queen!" toasted everybody.

Makarov took a sip of the wine keeled over in seconds. The next thing Laxus knew, his father and the house healer, Porlyusica, were running over to Makarov. Porlyusica put her head to Makarov's chest and shook her head. "The king has deceased."

Laxus stood still as his world was shaken.

 **Author's Note:** Yikes starting with death and ending with death. I do not ship Ur and Silver but it was the easiest way I could think of to combine all of Grey's family. Also I'm not going to spend a super long time editing things. I don't really have a lot of time and I'd like to publish weekly. I will either A) get a beta or B) edit after it's completed. If you would like to point out any mistakes, I would appreciate it because I doubt I will catch everything in one sweep.


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